# pairing help



## kapathy (Nov 20, 2010)

Ok back story... I have a friend who went to culinary school so i asked her to buy me some wine (she did the wine courses). I am an ale, stout and bourban guy. Sooooooo she got me an 75 wine company 2009 cabernet sauvignon and I am looking for a cigar pairing....... I know nothing about wine the few wines I have had have not been my tastes, although my wife loves pinot grigio and reisling.... well anyways there will be 3 of us smoking and drinking and I have 3 bottles so ....fire away with any suggestions.....way out of my comfort zone on this one


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## Zogg (Aug 31, 2010)

Hm...

wait..

I have no idea either.


edit: i asked my dad (wine guy, but not cigar guy) he said pair it with red meat, so.. id imagine a medium-full cigar, as red meat sometimes has pepper and spices on it?


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## Boudreaux (Jun 27, 2007)

Kevin, I would go with Paul's recommendation and pair it with a more full-bodied cigar... I would also recommend decanting the wine for at least 90 minutes before you serve it as it's still young...


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## Rock31 (Sep 30, 2010)

Meaty?

Fresh Opus X, LFD maybe.


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## Oldmso54 (Jul 31, 2010)

not necessarily a specific cigar, but I'd say a Maduro cigar would be complimentary with a red wine (cab) & I don't think it has to be a full bodied cigar either / medium would be fine - maybe an AF 858 Maduro?


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## kapathy (Nov 20, 2010)

I dont have a decanter..... is this something i can pick up reletively cheap or completely neccessary? I have some 4yr old opus #5, or i was thinking of getting a few fuente king b's


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## Rock31 (Sep 30, 2010)

Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohls, Macy's etc carry them.


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## kapathy (Nov 20, 2010)

so i would assume that you are suggesting it is very neccessary..... ok i can do that

i also have some aged 858 that might go very well


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## Rock31 (Sep 30, 2010)

Is it necessary? Sure if you are into wine....

If you don't plan on drinking or stocking wine in the future I would pass.


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## kapathy (Nov 20, 2010)

i have no clue how this is going to go, i would like to find a few wines that i enjoy, but the sweet stuff my wife like i cant stomach

also i think the smokes i have that will pair well


aged fuente 858 maduro
aged opus x #5
tatuaje verite 2008

and gonna get a short story or woam for my friend who bought the wine because i know she wont finish a bigger smoke


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## szyzk (Nov 27, 2010)

Kevin, definitely look to medium to full bodied cigars, as others have suggested. If you have a nice, spicy corojo or criollo wrapper go with that. If you find that the wine is very, very dry on your palate then I would look to a maduro.

Also, I'm not sure if on your first experience you'll want to burn an aged Opus. You might decide that the flavors of the wine compete too much with the cigar, and then you'll have wasted a perfectly good, aged beauty.

As far as decanting - just open the bottle and let it breathe for a while. No need to spend money on a decanter if you aren't sure that you'll become a wine snob. What I might suggest is an aerator... In my opinion it definitely helps the wine along, and even if you don't drink wine that often you can just throw it in your kitchen cupboards and have it for the next time you get a bottle, or if you're entertaining guests and they want wine.


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## kapathy (Nov 20, 2010)

def good points there.....well i have time to figure things out


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## Oldmso54 (Jul 31, 2010)

Here is some basic info on decanting:
*Decanting Wine | Why and How to Decant Wine*

Three Reasons for Decanting Wine

Old wines that have been cellared properly will contain sediment due to the aging process. By properly decanting the wine, the sediment will remain in the bottle.

Young full-bodied red wines can benefit from decanting. When the wine comes in contact with oxygen, the aromas present in the wine are released. The decanter in this case should be a wide bottomed decanter. Wide body decanters provide more surface area for oxygen to allow aromas from the wine to be released.

The presentation of wine in a beautiful crystal decanter adds to the ambience of a beautifully set table and prepared dinner.

How to Decant Aged Wine

For old wines with sediment one needs to be very diligent about pouring the wine into a decanter. First, stand the bottle up for several hours to allow the sediment to settle at the bottom. Fine sediment will take longer to settle to the bottom of the bottle.

How to Decant Young Red Wine

For young red wines, splash the wine into the decanter. The more it splashes into the decanter, the more it comes in contact with oxygen. Let the wine settle and rest for a short time.

PS - you may have something around - a nice pitcher - that could serve the purpose??


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## kapathy (Nov 20, 2010)

‪Vinearius, DECANTUS wine aerator‬‏ - YouTube

something like this???? as rediculous as the video is


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## Oldmso54 (Jul 31, 2010)

kapathy said:


> ‪Vinearius, DECANTUS wine aerator‬‏ - YouTube
> 
> something like this???? as rediculous as the video is


DO NOT BUY THAT!!! seriously for a 1 time event a nice pitcher if you have one on hand will do fine & honestly we have & go to plenty of parties where the wine is served right out of the bottle - i've never heard anyone complain. you want to enjoy the company - dont over complicate it - just my 2 cents


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## kapathy (Nov 20, 2010)

:behindsofa: buy what i didnt find anything stupid to buy what are you talking about....... lol

i really have nothing other than a few wine glasses and opener, i know i have a bed bath and beyond gift card at home so ill just look at stuff there.... and not buying something stupid


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## Boudreaux (Jun 27, 2007)

OK, how about a glass water pitcher? That will work in a pinch...


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

Just sharing an experience.....

Personally, if you have not had the wine before, I would not
buy anything real special.

Have seen wine ruin quite a few smoking experiences....

I would be thinking Samantra or Criolio (sp)


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## Rock31 (Sep 30, 2010)

Trader Joes $2 buck chuck right from the bottle


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## kapathy (Nov 20, 2010)

Boudreaux said:


> OK, how about a glass water pitcher? That will work in a pinch...


yeah im thinking ill find a cheap glass pitcher, all i have are a couple keg pitchers somewhere around the house


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## kapathy (Nov 20, 2010)

asmartbull said:


> Just sharing an experience.....
> 
> Personally, if you have not had the wine before, I would not
> buy anything real special.
> ...


yeah ive come to that conclusion, im gonna grab something good but not something htf or super pricey, maybe a fuente king b or kristoff criollo (i dont know how to spell either)


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

kapathy said:


> yeah ive come to that conclusion, im gonna grab something good but not something htf or super pricey, maybe a fuente king b or kristoff criollo (i dont know how to spell either)


Kevin
That Kristoff may work....
DRY BOX it for a cpl days.....


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## kapathy (Nov 20, 2010)

asmartbull said:


> Kevin
> That Kristoff may work....
> DRY BOX it for a cpl days.....


ooorrr kristoff sumatra, i havent had the crillo yet, but i really enjoy the sumatra


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## szyzk (Nov 27, 2010)

Buy a Kristoff Sumatra Robusto and a Kristoff Criollo Ligero Robusto! Those would both probably be great!


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## Tan18_01 (Jun 2, 2011)

Another suggestion, if you are planning to have the wine/cigar pairing at home, you could always taste the wine first and decide what cigar may go with the flavors/aromas you pick up.


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## Arnie (Jan 5, 2009)

Personally, I think wine and cigars DO NOT mix at all. The acidity of the wine ruins the cigar. But that's just my opinion.

Quite likely you will not need to decant the wine, unless it is a big robust Cab, in which case you should lay it down for a few years so it will come into its own. My guess is it's ready to go. Open it and let it breathe a few minutes. 

Unless you plan on becoming a wine geek don't waste your money on fancy wine gizmos. Most of those toys are made expressly for the purpose of enriching the makers of the gizmos. An opener and some glasses are all you need. Even those ice buckets for whites are pure BS, serve your white wines COOL not ice cold and you'll enjoy them more.

Most reds on the market are good to go when they are released. They will get better with age to a certain extent, but very few are not ready to be drunk.


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## szyzk (Nov 27, 2010)

Rock31 said:


> Trader Joes $2 buck chuck right from the bottle


I don't know how I missed this earlier.

Awwwwww yeah, you're like my long-lost, wine-drinking brother!


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## Oldmso54 (Jul 31, 2010)

Rock31 said:


> Trader Joes *$2 buck chuck* right from the bottle





szyzk said:


> I don't know how I missed this earlier.
> 
> Awwwwww yeah, you're like my long-lost, wine-drinking brother!


Can only be bought at Trader Joes and the closest Trader Joes to me is in Atlanta. When I picked up my son from GT we bought 3 cases & it's actually up to $2.79 a bottle (at least in Atlanta) but for that price a great everyday wine. Will be getting next supply when we take him back! :new_all_coholic:


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